Title Details

Magdalena Thomas is a devoted mother to her two children, Matthew and Jeremiah, as well as a proud owner of Spike, a bearded dragon, and Buddy, a chameleon. Her life has taken her back to school where she has embraced the wonders of Early Childhood Education and the belief that books help foster the creativity of young minds. Working with her two loving children and imaginative toddlers has inspired her to create a story highlighting the relationship between children and their pets. To her surprise, she discovered that there were few books about these relationships with reptiles, some of the most interesting creatures in the world. Thus, this heartwarming tale came to life.

The Adventures of Spike & Jeremiah is a rare book that merges history and science beautifully with its art.
Combining science, geography, and history with artistic themes, Magdalena Thomas’s The Adventures of
Spike & Jeremiah is perfect for any classroom or child’s bedroom bookshelf.
Spike is Jeremiah’s beloved pet bearded dragon. Together, they love to explore far-off lands and discover the
world’s hidden treasures. But instead of doing this physically, they travel imaginatively. In this instance, Jeremiah
points out Egypt on a map and helps them get there in their minds by painting a picture of the great pyramids.
While in Egypt, Spike and Jeremiah have memorable adventures, like taking part in a mummy dance party.
They even get a history lesson from a friendly camel named Alim, who gives them a ride around the pyramids and
shows them the powerful Sphinx. Their adventure ends with a nice sense of closure but also leaves the door wide
open for a sequel (or two).
Even though the book’s lessons are mainly historical in nature, Thomas also weaves in science lessons,
telling readers what Spike eats as a bearded dragon. There is a thorough information page about the animal at the
end.
Pranav Lohani’s colorful illustrations are just as important as Thomas’s text in telling this tale. While the
pictures show the grandness of the pyramids and the silly fun of the mummy dance party, they also convey deep
imaginativeness. There is just enough text on each page so as not to intimidate young children.
The Adventures of Spike & Jeremiah is a rare book that merges history and science beautifully with its art. It
stands to inspire children to do some painting and imaginative traveling of their own.
KELLY THUNSTROM (September 20, 2017) Clarion Review 4 stars